DIY WATERCOLOR PAPER LANTERN, WITH PATTERN

These watercolor paper lanterns are easy and fun to make. Children will love to watch the light dance and glow as they carry them through the dark night. First start with 2 sheets of watercolor paper, 11" x 14" in size. Soak them for 10 minutes and then use a wet-on-wet technique to paint the watercolor. Let paper dry completely.Here is the PDF file to print the pattern. It is two pages long. Cut out the pattern on the dotted cut lines. Trace the pattern onto the back sides of your dry watercolor paper. Cut out the traced pattern. The pieces will look like this.Draw the straight fold lines onto the back side of your cut watercolor paper pattern, as the lines appear on the pattern. Then use a straight edge to fold on the fold lines. Use straight edge end to press down all folded edges.Create a design of "light holes" by punching an ice pick into the paper. To do this, first put a piece of foam under the paper, and a cutting board under the foam.After all edges are folded and all holes are punched, start to glue each flap to its corresponding side. Start from one of the long vertical sides. Use a glue stick, hot glue gun, or paste.It should look like this once the two vertical sides are glued together.Now start gluing top flaps onto their corresponding sides.It should look like this once you are finished gluing the top.Glue the bottom flaps of the lantern onto the bottom square piece.Now finish by gluing the handle flaps to the top of the lantern. Place a few candles in the bottom, and you have a beautiful lantern to carry through the night.